Combined land-roller and corn-planter.



PATENTED NOV. 6, 1906.

H. W. THOMASSON. COMBINED LAND ROLLER AND CORN PLANTIER.

APPLICATION FILED MAB-26. 1906- 3 .ry iu y kifvr l U N ITED STATES PATENT .OFFICE.

HUGH W. THOMASSON, OF ST..LOUIS, MISSOURI.

bOlVlBlNED LAND-ROLLER AND CORN-PLANTER.

To all whom, it may concern:

Be it known that I, HUGH W. T oMassoN, a citizen of the United States, res1d1ng 1n the invented certain new and useful Improvements in a Oombined'Land-Roller and Corn- Planter, of which the following is a full, clear,

and exact description, reference being had to the accom anying drawings, forming part of this spec cation.

- My invention relates to an a ricultural implement combining a land-r ler and cornplanting mechanism cared to said roller, whereby in the use 0 theimplement corn may be planted in rows without the use of a check-wire or any check-row mechanism and also whereby-the soil may be pulverized during the process of planting the corn.

Fi ure I is a top or plan view of my combine implement with parts shown in horizontal section. Fig. II is a side elevation of the implement. Fig. III is a vertical crosssection taken on line III III, Fig. I, looking in the direction of the arrow crossing said line and showing arts adjacent to said line in elevation. F' used in my implement.

1 designates a roller of barrel shape or, in-

other words, of a structural form combinin heads -2 at its ends and an external periphera surface that is of convex shape in a direction longitudinally 'of the roller. The roller is thus made of greater thickness and weight at its longitudinal center than at its ends and of hollow form. Projecting from each head 2 of the roller is a circular 'boss 3, that terminates in a non-circular neck 4. The utility of these members will hereinafter appear.

desi ates a pair of end frame members that are ocated adjacent to the heads of the roller and are apertured intermediate of their ends to receive the bosses 3 and provide journals therefor. The -rear ends of'the frame members 5 are united by a tie-bar 6, bolted or otherwise suitably secured to said frame embers and by which they are in part held 'n alinement with the heads of the roller 1. ormed integral with or ii idly attached to he frame members 5 near t eir forward ends re socket-arms '5, that extend inwardly om the inner or facing sides of said frame members. These socket arms receive a sleeve '7', which is rigidly mounted therein and which serves to tie the forward ends of the frame members to each other.

8 designates a pair of swinging arms that Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed March 26. 1906. Serial No. 308,178.

is a modification of the roller Patented Nov. 6, 1906.

.are rovided at their rear ends with boxes .9, w -ch are loosely fitted to the sleeve 7 in order that said arms may turn on said sleeve. city of St. Louis and State of Missouri, have 5 ,arms 8 are secure receiving arms 8 by means of set-screws 12, 5 1n order that it may be readily put in position and removed when desired. This seedbox may be rovided with the usual valve mechanism. Not shown and for which noinvention is herein claimed.) The valve mechanism is preferabl controlled by a bevel-pinion 13, (see Fig. III) that is o erated throu h the medium of mechanism a out to be exp ained.

14 designates a furrow-opening shoe, the forward end of which is bolted to thedraftton no 10 and at the rear end of which is a see -receiving chute 15, located immediately beneath. the seedbox 11. The chute of the shoe is attached to. the seedbox 11 at its u per end and the chute is connected tot e runner of the shoe by a brace 14.

17 designates crank-arms that are secured to the non-circular necks 4 of the bosses 3, projecting from the heads of the roller 1, these crank-arms being offset from each other for the purpose of avoiding the occurrence of a dead-center with reference to the action of the arms during the rotation of said roller.

18 designates main pitmen, the rear ends of which are loosely fitted to the outer ends of the crank-arms 17.

19 is a revoluhle shaft loosely mounted in the forward ends of the end frame members 5 and in the sleeve 7, supported by the socket members of said end frame members. The shaft 19 has fixed to it at each of its ends a crank-arm 20, said crank-arms being offset from each other to avoid the occurrence of a dead-center. The crank-arms 20 have fitted to their outer ends the pitmen 18.

21 designates a seedbox-valve-operating rod, to the ends of which are secured crankarms 22. v

23 designates subpitmen, the ends of which are loosely fitted to the outer ends of the crank-arms 20 and 22, the latter of which, like the former, are so affixed to their shaft as to avoid the occurrence of a dead-center. The shaft 21 is supported by a pair of swinging hanger-arms 24L,J; hat are loosely fitted to IIO the socket members 5, and in which the shaft 21 is journaled. The arms 24 are conofholdingisai fined on the members 5 by set-collars 25. The valve-operating shaft 21 may be supported in conjunctiqn with the seedbox 11 by any suitable means, and it may be geared to 5 the valve mechanism of said seedbox by any suitable means, such as the bevelin 26, (see Fig. III) that meshes with the beve -pi nion 13.

27 designates a seat-supporting. member, the forward-end of which is clamped to the I0 sleeve? ,and servesto hold the tongue-receiving arms'Sin aseparated condition and from movementin ,a-longitudinal direction on said sleeve. This. seat-supporting member is of arch shape andextends rearwardl above 15 the roller land-mayhaveapplied t ereto a seat of any usual ferm.,' On the seat-supporting member-is. a foot-rest 2.7. The seatsupporting member 27 is in turn supported by a forward brace 28 and a,pair of outweirdly-divergent bracearms 29, that are fittached ;to said member andto the reartie- It-may be. found desirable at times to utilme my rollerindividually and without the corn-planting mechanism associated therewith, andthis may readily be done by removing the corn-planting mechanism. In such instance a tie-rod 30 (see dotted lines, Fig. I) may be applied to the-end frame 0 members. 5; to unite their forward ends ina members. The rod; is also assed through "the; tongue-connecting F arms for 'the, purpose d tongue rigidly. relative to the frame'of the implement;

:ff]:n' thepractieal use 9f ,myicombined roller irq andlgcorn-p lanter, the roller rides upon the ground, and,.d-,u"e".to its barrel shape or convex hape; and heaviest atits longitudinal .center it acts upon the ground with greater pressure I l at its centerthan at its ends. As the roller rotatesit earriestherewith thecrank-arms 17-,

fixed to. itsbosses, and as a result the main pitmen 18. are reciprocated. The pitmen during their reci rocation act upon the crankarms 20,..carrie by the. revolu-ble shaft 19,

and rotate said crank-arms, with the result of imparting reciprocation to the subpitmen 23 and rotation to the. crank-arms 22, fixed totheseedboxevalveb crating shaft .21. It

will .be seen that by t e described connec- 5 5 tions the seed is caused to be dripped from theseedbox with uniformity, w e atthe same time the ground over which the implement is o erated is being rolled. It will also be seen that duev to the draft-tongue-receiv- 6o ing. arms .8 being loosely fitted to the framework of. the implement the tongue may move independently of the framework, and that therefore the seedbox and the valve mechanism associated therewith are unaffected by the passage of the roller 1 over uneven ground or obstructions that may be encountered.

In Fig, IV, I have shown-a modification in which the roller 1 is provided with an annular concave groove 1", located centrally thereof, thereby presenting in the roller the same feature of merit that is'found in the I j ground-wheels of corn-planters which have concave tread-rims. I

1, In animplement ofthecharacter dee scribed, the combination ofa frame, fi t-land i roller having bosses 'atits ends .journaled 1m said frame, a tongue swingingly-connected to said frame, a seedbox supported by said tongue, and mechanism for actuating the valve mechanism of said seedbox connected to the bosses of said land-roller, substantially as set forth.

2. In an implement of thecha acter described, the combination of aframe, aland-f roller having bosses atits ends. journalediin said frame, a tongue swingingly connected to saidframe, a, seedbox supported by said tongue, .a valve-operating rod supported thy said frame and located in proximity to. said seedbox, and pitmen connection between said valve-o erating ,rod and the bossesof said land-r0 er, substantiall as setforth.

3.- In an implement oft e character dc.- scribed, the combination of a frame, -a land-1 roller having bosses at-its .endsfjourn tled in said frame, a tongue swingingly connected 1' 0 said frame, a seedbox supported bysaid tongue, a valve-operatin rod associated with said seedbox, a revolu le shaftsupport: ed by said frame, crank-arms carried by, said shaft, and by the bosses ofsaid land-roller, and pitmen connecting said crank-arms, substantially as set forth.

4. In an implement of the character do? scribed, the combination zofa frame, a land roller having bosses at its ends journaled in said frame, a tongue swinging 1y connected to said frame, a seedbox sup, orted by said tongue, a valveroperating s aft associated with said seedbox and having crankearms at its ends, swinging hanger-arms loosely fitted to said frame. and in which said valve-operating rod is journaled, a revoluble shaft mount-- ed in the portion of said frameto which said hanger-arms are fitted, crankearms carried bysaid last-named shaft, crank-arms carried by the bosses ,of said land-roller, pitmen connecting thevcrank-arms of said shaft and the crankarms of said roller, I and subpitmen connecting thecrank-arms of said last-named shaft to the crank-arms of said valve-operat ing shaft, substantially as set forth.

HUGH W. ,THOMASSON. In presence of BLANOHE HOGAN, H. G. Coon. 

